DEIVATHIN KURAL # 47 (Vol # 7) Dated 04 Oct 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 47 (Vol # 7) Dated 04 Oct 2013

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavãL of Kanchi Kaamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are going ahead from last paragraph page No 390 of Volume 7 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein ‘man/he’ includes ‘woman/she’ too mostly. These e-mails are all available at   http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated continually)

The Mother and Father of the Universal Family

(This is also for children.  To-day's lecture was given in a school sitting under the shade of a tree.)

1.       God runs and manages the whole world and universe.  In it we human beings are there along with birds, worms, insects, trees, plants, creepers, animals and so many other life forms forming a vast and huge family.  God is the head of that family running it.  Our small families as a single unit are run by our mother and father.  For running a family we need many things.  Father does some job and earns money with which all those items are purchased for the family.  Mother cooks food and manages the household. 

2.            God whom we call as Swami is much bigger than us human beings.  He has enormous powers.  Instead of the need that one should earn and the other should cook, feed and manage the house-hold affairs; Swami manages and caters for all that himself!  Like our father and mother, Swami does not have to go to the market and purchase things. He is the root-cause of all materials and their qualities.  He is an ocean of qualities as all qualities have evolved from God only.  As God is the source for all the materials and things that our parents give us, he is also the source for all the love and affection that comes to us from our parents.

3.            All the time wishing the best for us, our parents are prepared to undergo any amount of privations and denials for our sake, isn't it?  Their sole aim in life seems to be that we should become good, capable, progress and advance in life, isn't it?  For this very reason, they take us to task or punish us at times.  We should not get annoyed or antagonized because of this. In fact we should realize that they have our best interest in their minds.  Even when our parents get annoyed and angry with us, we should realise that it is due to their love for us and the need to correct us.  By their love, they feed us, take care of all our material and creature comforts, educate us and teach us good behaviour and good manners.  If we fall sick they nurse us back to health.  They do all that, out of love for us, isn't it?  What is the source of that love they have for us?  For this also the source is Swami only!  It is God who comes in our life as our parents and showers so much love and care on us! 

4.            Thinking all the time about our welfare, for our happiness, they our parents are having so much love for us that they are able to bear all deprivations and difficulties, don’t they?  Their only aim seems to be that we should earn a good name and come up in life, isn't it?  For this only at times they tick us off, correct us and even punish us.  For this we should not be angry with them.  We should be aware and know that they do so for our betterment only.  Even when they are annoyed at us, it is their love for us that is the reason.  It is by that love only they bring us up, feed us, teach us all good things and behaviour, educate us, and when we fall sick, even at the cost of foregoing their own rest, they take care of us.  If we see as to from where they have this love for us, we will know that this love also comes from Swami only.  It is God who comes in our lives as our parents and give us so much love!

'அன்னையும் பிதாவும் முன்னறி தெய்வம்'

'annaiyum pithavum munnari deivam'

'Mother and Father are the First Known Gods'

5.            The above is a well-known pithy statement by Avvaiyar, a famous granny of the Tamil world.  So we should think of them as our earliest known Gods.  Alternatively we should think of God as having come in our lives as our parents.  In a book of morals meant for children known as 'konrai vendan' – 'கொன்றை வேந்தன்', the first line is what is given as the title for this paragraph.  In the next line she says 'ãlayam thozhuvadu sãlavum nanru' – 'ஆலயம் தொழுவது சாலவும் நன்று', meaning that it is a very good habit to visit the temples and pray to God!  While doing so, we should think of God as our Mother and Father. 

6.            God is everywhere as being omnipresent.  So he cannot be having a 'four cubit body' like us all.  How to think of him as a formless being?  It is difficult to do so.  But we can think of God in the form of our Mother and Father.  Amongst all the people that we know, the parents are most loving, aren’t they?  We also feel happy only, when we think of those who are loving and loveable towards us. So we should be thinking of God as a combined form of our Mother and Father as 'ammaiappan' – 'அம்மைஅப்பன்'.  Parvathy as the mother and Parama Siva as the father or Maha Lakshmi as mother and Maha Vishnu as father or Sita as our mother and Sri Rama as our father; are various ways of thinking of God as our parents.  Just to think of their form, their actions and their sayings is to soak in their love and feel thrilled!

'மனமும் அறிவும் தெளிய'

'Manamum Arivum TheLiya'

7.            Only when the mind is calm, happy and loving, there is clarity.  When the mind is thus clear, if you read the study materials, the subject matter gets nicely registered in our minds.  Instead when we are full of anger, hate, jealousy and sorrow, the mind is confused and whatever we read and study does not get registered in the mind.  Daily if you think of God as Parvathy-Parameswara or Maha Lakshmi-Vishnu, mind will become good, Buddhi will be clear and then study will be fruitful and you can be successful in the exams.  Even if you are smart and intelligent and pass your exams, it is no good if you do not get a good name as a good person.  In later years you can never progress with such a reputation.  If you are a good man that gives you and others happiness and also enables you to progress.  This devotion to God makes us good and truly intelligent.

Being Devoted to God from Childhood

8.            From this young age itself we should be getting attached to God.  At this young age only, we can catch hold of God and develop a strong attachment.  As we grow, too many likes and dislikes enter our minds that we can never even think of God!  Now as yet such a problem is not there.  Now if we get into the habit of praying to God, easily we become also inured against all flimsy desires.  All of you should be hale and hearty and get good marks in exams and pass in all of them and come up in life to good positions.  As a free ticket for such a good life, become devoted to 'Ammai-Appan' from now itself. 

Being Helpful to Others

9.            Now we are all under the shade of one tree.  What was a small plant many years back is today this big tree giving shade to many.  You who are children today should also grow up and like this tree should become useful for many.  To come up in life and to become well to do is so that you could help many and be useful members of the society.  If you earn a lot and spend it all on yourself, God will not be happy with you.  As we are his children so also, the poor, sick and orphans his children.  Instead of helping those others, if we spend all our earnings on ourselves then, God will not be kind to us anymore. 

10.          So, you should all do as much help as possible for others.  That will give you much happiness and satisfaction.  Instead of only eating yourself, if you feed others, that will give you much pleasure.  You will know that our very birth is so that we can be helpful to others.  When you so extend as much of help as possible for others and make them happy, God will also be pleased with you and make your life happy and satisfying.  If others get a good impression about you and observe your devotion to God, they will also become devotees of God.  The happiness and good mind that you get by being devoted, they will also get.  So to be devoted to God is an act that is by itself, a great service for humanity. 

'To Guard Oneself from Bad Tendencies and Habits'

11.          Often jealousy, anger and such feeling do over take us and you will feel like fighting or say or write ill of others on the walls, or black-board if nothing else.  Once your mind goes for such things your studies will be badly affected.  You name and reputation will also be spoiled.  That is why as you get up from your sleep in the morning and before going to sleep in the night it is best to say your prayers.  When there is a gale of a wind as though it will blow us off the surface of the earth, what do we do?  We catch hold of a sturdy pillar don’t we?  Similarly before we are blown away by feelings of anger, jealousy and such bad tendencies, we should catch hold of the Swami who is like a sturdy pillar that will save us from being blown away or falling.

'Pray for at Least Five Minutes Every Time'

12.          So from today both in the Morning and evening happily pray to God with love and devotion at least for five minutes to the God who is 'Ammai-Appan' that is, Mother and Father in One, with love that he may save you from going astray and give you the right mind and attitude.  By this you will develop a kind hearted attitude and a strong mind, get good marks, pass all your exams, graduate out of school and college with flying colours, get good jobs, and be useful members of the society.

'AROHARA!'

13.          Initially I told you about a mother by the name of Parvathy.  Her husband is Parama Siva and so is called 'Parvathy- Pathy'.  As a great God, he is also known as 'Maha Deva'.  A child like you, by the name of Thiru Gnãna Sambandar, used to keep on chanting the name of Siva, saying, "Hara, Hara, Maha Deva", visiting all the temple-towns where there were temples of Siva.  When you take the name of Hara twice in succession, it is said as 'Harohara' or 'Arohara'.  So this child Sambandar used to go on chanting the name of Siva, wherever he went and a big crowd of devotees used to follow him, repeating 'Arohara' in chorus.  At that time all the bad elements and influences of the world vanished.  That is the problems and sadness of life disappeared.  That child Sambandar composed and sang Thevãram meaning, "Let this 'Arohara' sound echo in all far corners of the world and let the world be rid of all its sadness and sorrow!"  The song in Tamil goes as,

'aran nãmame soozhga

vaiyagamum thuyar theergave' –

'அரன் நாமமே சூழ்க

வையகமும் துயர் தீர்கவே'.

14.          Now I will say, 'Nama: Parvathy Pataye' and you will all respond with, 'Hara, Hara, Maha Deva', thinking of the Mother of the Universe as Parvathy and Father of all existence as Maha Deva, as that child Thiru Gnãna Sambandar sang then!

'Namah Parvathee Pataye!  Hara Hara Maha Deva!'   

'नम: पार्वती पतये! हर हर महा देव!'

'நம: பார்வதீ பதயே! ஹர ஹர மஹாதேவா!'

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva